Film actress and BJP MLA Hema Malini’s mercedes car hit at hight speed an Alto car carrying four passengers on Dausa Jaipur highway. Result was predictable. One two year old girl died. Did she has any chance at all, when a speeding mercedes hits a flimsy Alto? Her four year old brother has fracture in both legs. Her parents lost consciousness at the impact. Mother still does not know her daughter is no more.

Driver of the mercedes got out unscathed. His airbag saved him from harm. He was arrested for rash driving. He is out on bail in 24 hours. Even if convicted or if his licence impounded, he will be back on the road with a different licence. Such killer permits are so easily available.

It is possible, that driver of the mercedes was not to blame. Our highways and freeways are poorly designed. Drivers have poor road sense and scant regard for rule of law. On the fastest lane of a six lane highway, it is not unusual to see slow moving vehicles travelling in wrong direction. Our highways have cuts at odd points, to accommodate passage of villagers. Many rural drivers simply enter main arterial highway without any warning or care for the oncoming traffic. There is no information if such was the case with Alto car.

However, this being reality of Indian roads, a mature professional driver is expected to anticipate potential dangers. From my experience of driving regularly on Haryana highways, I can say with confidence that most drivers of high end cars hardly give a damn about small cars. They know in the back of their mind that in case of a collision, big cars may be damaged but the driver will be protected by air bag. Drivers also know that their rich, powerful and politically connected masters will get them out of jail. These drivers drive at high speed 120 kmph or more. They zip through intersections without even slowing down in anticipation of an approaching vehicle. May be a mature behaviour is too much to expect from a person, who has probably bribed his way to get a drivers licence, and is backed by equally corrupt and powerful man / woman in the backseat.

Coming back to backseat, in this case the passenger was Mrs. Hema Malini. She was badly shaken up, as we see from her bloodied pictures, but definitely there was no stirring inside her.

Mrs. Hema Malini did not help the injured victims. When media got on her case, she issued a bland and empty platitude from her hospital. She claimed she was sad. She claimed that she prayed to god for giving strength to the family that lost a child. All so empty. Her prayers would assume a lot of meaning, however, had Mrs. Hema Malini done any or all of the following:

not left for Jaipur in a doctor’s car, who is a BJP member,

taken seriously injured victims with her? or at least seen that they got medical help.

waited for police and medical help to arrived. Sure she was hurt, but definitely not as hurt as others.

Hema ji is a renowned actress. She also plays the role of goddess Durga on stage. Her plays evoke a feeling of adoration mixed with devotion. Yet the real person is so far from the actor that enacts the role of demon slayer mother Durga. I wish Hema ji had acted like mother Durga in saving the victims of accident. Alas! she acted less than a good human being.

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Published by Abhijit Ray

I am an amateur blogger. This is a blog about my thoughts about my life and my society. Thoughts that make me happy and thoughts that make me sad and angry. Blogging helps me express my views on events. Read my posts. Share your thoughts.
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